Calendar of Events for 2021-2022

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2021-2022

Classes:

NOTE: All class with a date of “Week of” indicates that the specific day of class is yet TBD. Classes will begin during the stated week, but the specific day of the week that the class will meet is still to be determined.

Aug 30-Sept 3 - All Literature-based classes begin this week. (Lit-based classes include: Pre-K/K, First Writers, Intro to Writing, Beginning Writing, Intermediate Writing, Advanced Writing, College Prep, and Adult Certification classes, plus Basic Writing Level 4)

Sept 1st Basic Writing Level 1 (4 weeks)

Oct 5th- Basic Writing Level 1 (4 weeks) Oct 6th- Basic Writing Level 2 (4 weeks)

Nov 2nd- Basic Writing Level 2: 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, no class Nov 23, 11/30
Nov 3rd- Basic Writing Level 3: 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, no class Nov 24, 12/1.
Nov 12, registration opens for spring semester
Week of Nov 15-19 Last week of Fall semester Lit-based classes (Presentation Week!)

Jan 17-21- First week of spring semester classes

Week of Feb 1-5 Basic Writing Level 1 (4 weeks)

Week of Mar 1-5 Basic Writing Level 1 (4 weeks)
Week of Mar 1-5 Basic Writing Level 2 (4 weeks)
Week of Mar 28-Apr 1 Basic Writing Level 2: (4 weeks) Week of Mar 28-Apr 1 Basic Writing Level 3: (4 weeks)

Week of April 25-29 Basic Writing Level 3: (4 weeks) Week of April 4-8 Last week of Spring classes
Week of April 11- 15 NO CLASSES Week of April 18-22 (5 weeks) Spring Break Enrichment classes begin

Week of May 16-20 Final week of enrichment classes

MEET A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM

Hello Everyone! My name is Emily Allen and I am the media manager for The Write Journey. I am honored to be part of this fantastic group of women that make up The Write Journey Team.

Anything you might see on our Facebook and Instagram page is written and created by yours truly. If you know me even just a little, you will quickly see how humorous it is that I have an actual title as a social media manager. I am one of the least tech savvy people you will meet, but where my ability lacks, my determination will make up the difference!

I have been married to my husband, Daniel, for ten years and we have three daughters, ages 8, almost 7 and 5. Our family currently lives in Northern CA, but we recently sold our home, and we are embarking on a move to Arkansas very soon! Like many of you, I am a new homeschooling mom since last October, and, again like so many of you, I found myself wondering if I’m doing this whole homeschool thing right!

I first met Kris Cordell when I was attending a local MOPS group, and she was a mentor for our leadership team. All it took was a hot cup of tea in our hands, homemade scones, (you must have Kris’ homemade scones), and, while sitting in cozy chairs, we chatted for hours about life, motherhood, and leadership. I quickly realized that Kris was one of those women that had immense amounts of wisdom and life was continually providing opportunities for our paths to cross.

When we first met, I was a new mom to three little girls ranging from newborn to 3.5 years. The last thing I had on my mind was homeschooling. Although I knew Kris was a seasoned homeschool mom, it didn’t occur to me that she would later be one of my biggest cheerleaders for a journey I would embark on nearly three years later. Let’s be honest, a homemade scone and some uninterrupted sleep was all I was focused on!

Fast forward two years and at that point I was getting a bit more sleep and my eldest daughter was attending elementary school. In addition, since my passion for event planning, floral design and home design/decor cannot be squelched, I began spending some hours building my design business. No matter how much I might have on my plate, I always find myself being drawn back to these passions.

Because I am a freelance, self taught “designer”, I needed an outlet to share projects and the work that I was doing with clients, as well as the work I was doing in our own home. So, at the ripe old age of 35, I created my first Instagram account. From my personal account, I learned a lot of the ins and outs of social media, like algorithms and how to build community. This knowledge would later be very helpful to me in my future position with TWJ. Small beginnings, and the simple faith from a friend, is how I landed here!

So, here I am, and life looks very different . . . in the best of ways. I am homeschooling all three of my girls, now in third grade, first grade and kindergarten. But that’s not all: I am embarking on a huge move, building my design business slowly but surely, and I have the opportunity to work for one of the best homeschooling companies around.

I am continually amazed by the way God orchestrates our lives, bringing people and relationships that prepare us for the road ahead. Of all the things I love about working for “The Write Journey”, the relationships and community that I have gained is one of the greatest gifts of all. I know that at the end of the day, what we all need most is to know there is someone in our corner cheering us on.

We are rooting for you. You can do what is before you, and you can do it well!

Written by: Emily Allen

MAKING THE MOST OF THE MYSTERY GENRE

As we have settled into our classes this semester, each of our Lit-based classes are studying age appropriate mysteries. For the youngest kiddos, we lean on the innocent mysteries of lost or missing items. One of our classes is searching for answers to the characters’ plentiful questions about a mysterious room. Some older students are studying more nefarious plots, missing persons, or even murder. However, at the core of each and every mystery, the plot centers around the need to seek and find the truth. We long to answer the questions, “What really happened, and why?” In addition to this fun critical thinking learning opportunity, mysteries also rely on some common vocabulary terms that we as adults may take for granted: crime, suspect,
alibi, victim, clues, evidence, motive, and so on. This month’s idea is to help foster curiosity in our students, while helping them understand the process of using inference and clues to figure out the truth. An educated guess goes a long way in all fields of study, especially seeking the truth. Let’s look at some options to make the most of this genre of writing , and encourage the whole family to have fun with it!

Here are some ideas for you to expand on the mystery theme this month in your homes:

1. Mystery Dinner- what’s on the menu? Close kitchen access, and leave a few clues as to the menu. Children can even participate in the meal making process; they may chop vegetables, but not realize they will go into the marinara sauce. Or, children may help prepare a small portion of a dessert, but have few clues about the final product. Mix it up, and have students (and parents) try to figure out the menu for the meal!

2. Talk about each child’s story. Likely, they are in the very beginning of their novels, but a weekly check-in about the progress of the case might be a fun way to encourage lively discussions and guesses; just don’t allow any students privy to the story’s ending to spoil it for the reader. Repeat after me- NO SPOILERS!

3. Fingerprinting Activity- Supplies needed: Plain white paper, lead or graphite pencil, transparent tape, a magnifying glass (optional)

   1. On the paper, use the pencil to scribble a thick layer of pencil mark (make it nice and dark).

   2. Rub fingertips over the pencil mark vigorously, picking up enough graphite to coat the fingertip.

   3. Place a piece of clear sticky tape solidly across the finger tip.

   4. Lift the tape straight up and off the finger, making sure to not touch on the prints.

   5. Stick the tape to the white paper.

   6. Use a magnifying glass to closely examine the prints!

4. Mystery Box- place an item in a box, and allow students to

   try to guess at the item based on the size, weight, and sound.

5. I Spy Observation Game- On a tray, arrange multiple small items, like toys, erasers, lip balm, hair accessories, sunglasses, school supplies, and so on. Set a timer for students to observe the items without touching or moving any. Then remove one item, and ask the students to decide what item has been taken. For older students, they may have to guess more than one missing item, or they can have one minute to write down all of the items they remember seeing on the tray after it is covered or removed.

These ideas are only a few possibilities, and many parents and students have fantastic ideas of their own! The encouragement is to make the most of the mystery genre in literature. As we mentioned in last month’s newsletter, this reading and writing genre is often identified as the first love for many. We encourage families to develop this love and make the most of reading with at least a couple of these activities this month!

Written by: Julie Snyder

LEARNING LEVELS INSTEAD OF STANDARD GRADE LEVELS?

Typically, in traditional schools students simply receive instruction and complete assignments that are common to the entire class/grade (or even the entire district) in each subject. Sadly, regardless of the grade level, many language arts curriculums fall short in teaching specific methods of the writing process. Often, the standard program fails to clearly instruct students on the “process” that will bring about a quality composition. Instead, at every grade, students are left with an assignment and a blank page (or screen), on which to compose their thoughts in such a way that the next person understands.

At The Write Journey, our primary focus for any student is the mastery of writing skills. We do not believe that it is helpful or empowering to students or families to watch a student struggle in a state standard simply because of the grade they have been assigned for school. Instead, we recognize more potential for growth when general learning levels are based on each student’s abilities. That means that we simply see age related grade levels in school as a guideline or starting point, but we ultimately look at a student’s skills and abilities to decide what level will offer the greatest opportunity for success on an individual basis. Our Learning Level Icons provide broad benchmarks to help us determine where each child is likely to experience appropriate instruction and expectations. Students need the freedom and option to release the expectations of state standards, slow down or speed up their instruction tempo, and grow in the appropriate ability level.

When a student is given a writing task well beyond their ability, it can cause the student to experience a number of negative emotions, such as panic, fear, frustration, or even an unwillingness to try because they feel unprepared for the task. However, when a student starts at the beginning of the writing process, and builds upon each layer of skills and knowledge, growth happens, and eventually mastery is achieved.

When people look on our website, we recognize their need to identify which class level best meets their student’s needs, so our new Learning Level Icons help searchers navigate between the various levels, with each level having an assigned grade range. That said, we will always defer back to our core ideologies: teaching to our students’ abilities and needs. We desire to create a safe space to allow students to grow in effective communication skills - reading, writing, and discussion - at their own pace. As we partner together, your children will enjoy a meaningful, successful learning experience, which will be based on their personal skills and abilities.

Written by: Julie Snyder and Kris Cordell

BASIC WRITING CLASSES: THE FOUNDATIONS

Often, the task of writing anything starts with the question, “What is the purpose of this writing assignment?” Many think of creative writing, or story-telling. Some think of poetry or journaling. Still others think of research papers and long essays. However, in most instances, students must learn how to address writing prompts, determining whether the prompt asks a question, or tells the student to write about a specific topic. Our Basic Writing classes help students learn to respond to writing prompts in all situations.

Formal academic writing requires students to consider the prompt, decide their ideas or perspective, and then write a number of sentences about that given prompt or topic. In the Basic Writing classes, we teach students to break down the assignment into manageable steps:

• Gather the ideas related to the prompt

• Decide which ideas to use in the composition

• Organize the ideas for flow

•  Put the ideas into complete sentences

• Edit or correct the sentences for strength, correct grammar

  usage, and quality

• Produce a final composition that is strong because all the steps are addressed well

Time and again, The Write Journey hears about the overwhelming expectations that even elementary students should know how to write lengthy compositions (many words) on any given topic. The expectation also demands that students find themselves naturally able to write if they read many books. These often misguided or unfair expectations may leave a student feeling as if they did something wrong, or even as if they are not bright enough to complete the task. We come against this methodology with our Basic Writing classes. Our goals aim to equip and empower the writer to address a writing assignment with the necessary skills to complete the task with confidence. The writer’s toolbox that we help students fill enables them to pull out the correct tool at the appropriate time.

Our focus for students is that they would gain mastery over the skills. This means that they need time and practice. An athlete may begin with some natural abilities, but the hours of practice make a professional athlete stand out. The same is true with writing. A student may begin with some natural skills, like good ideas, eloquent phrases, or the ability to spell every word correctly. However, these are just parts of the whole. A student trained in the writer’s craft we teach will be able to pull all of their skills together to form a well written, well thought-out, skillful composition. It simply takes the proper instruction, time, and practice.

Our Basic Writing Level 1 class opens in the first week of each month. We encourage students to complete levels 1 and 2 at the minimum. These first two levels instruct the student in the layers of tools for writing. The third level allows the student to practice the methods consistently with robust feedback from the instructor, who helps the student identify their strengths, and challenges the student to improve any portions that need improvement.

Basic Writing Level 4 is the High School Essay Writing course. This 12 week course helps high school students learn the various types of essays and compositions: personal reflective, descriptive, expository, persuasive, argumentative, response to informational text, and research projects. Students in this course learn the tools for composing much longer writing pieces without losing any of the skills needed to compose the paper well. This course begins at the start of each semester.

If your student, either a charter student, or one in your home, needs help in the specific subject of writing, consider enrolling that student in the Basic Writing courses. The link for the website is added for your convenience. You will find more information on the website about these classes, and the many other services we offer!

https://thewritejourney.net/basic-writing

Written by: Julie Snyder